The Cecil Whig., 1887-06-25
PHILADELPHIA AFFAIRS.
Arrest of the Deiaulters Lesley and Will
son-Chrome Yellow in Cakes

son-Chrome Yellow i'll Cakes
| PHILADEIPHIA, June I9.-Henry Y.
! Lesley and j. \ l.. Wilson. ex secretary
treasurers OF the Chesapeake and Della
ware Canal Company, are under arrest,
charged with the greatest embezzlement
Morton, of the Market street railway.
Henry '. Lesley was secretary of the
company for many years, aud Wilson, his
cousin, was Il clerk IN the office. About
lSS0 Lesley began an ovorisaue of the
mortgage loan, using the money thus OBJ
tanned for mining spe2ulations i'll New
Mexico and the purchase Of real estate in
West Philadelphia. The fraudulent over
issue would have been revealed on the
first interest day, but Lesley issued more
of the mortgage loan with which to pay
Interest on that fraudulently issued, and
continued to do SO for several years. lie
was ut length detected in a cash defalca-
tion of $50, 600, but was not punished,
except by being discharged from office
and obliged to refund. His cousin and
confederate, Wilson, was appointed to
his place and continued Lesley's trans
actions, which were, of course, entirely
unknown at the time. When the two
men at last ilGd to Canada they had rob
bed the company of S52, 140 in cash, and
had overissued the mortgage loan (for
which the company was responsibility to
amount of 5000, 200 To offset this the
canal company obtained about $lj, 900
from Wilson's estate. No indictment
could be found for an extraditable of
ense, and Lesley and Wilson lived IN Sc
curity at Toronto until a few days ago.
Wilson, though known as an embeZzler,
obtained situation in Toronto and has
been living there with his wife in fash
ionable quarters. Lesleys wife removed
from handsome West Philadelphia resi-
dence to 1924 Poplar street, this city, and
Lesley becoming homesick, returned to
her a few days ago. Information of his
arrival was obtained by the canal COM
pany, and detectives went to the house
yesterday and arrested him. 1t is sup.
posed that Lesley gave information upon
which to found a charge of forgery tan
extraditable otfense) against Wilson. At
all events the charge was promptly made
after Lesley had been taken into custody
and Wilson was also arrested in Toronto.
Each party claims that the other did
most of the stealing, but it is evident
that they were working together, and it
is suspected that there were other parties
privy to their crookedness. In default of
$50 600 bail Lesley WAS sent to prison.
SEVERAL. PERSONS POISONED.
PHILADELPHIA, June 20 AT a meet
ing of the Board of Health to day COM
munication was received from Prof.
David d. Stewart, of Jefferson Medical
College, and Henry Lehman, port physi-
clan, in which they say "We beg leave
to call your attention officially to the in
discriminate use of lead chromate
(chrome Yellow as coloring material for
confectionery, pastry and other articles
of food. Among other Instances we may
mention that a sample of nudles, pur-
chased in the northeastern section of the
city, was found to be quite seriously con-
taminated with lead. We suggest, there
fore, that the matter te acted on Off
cially by the beard" The matter was
referred to The Sanitary Committee.
This communication of DrS. Stewart
ana LtUllldu WAS lut outcome OF InHlf
investigation into the mysterious sickness
and deaths i'll two families living in the
northeastern part of the city that has for
a few years past puzzled the physicians
iu that district. The main sufferer from
this effect is George VI. Palmer, baker,
doing business at Otter and Sophia
1856, he lost six members OF his family.
al, nd tx,n ali,
Since then one more child has died, max
ing seven deaths IN all. In all the cases
the symptoms were identical, and il was
rumored at one time that the deaths were
due to the fathers anxiety to lid himself
of SO large family. This idea was dis
PEELED, however. when, in January last,
Palmer himself was taken down with the
same sickness that carried off the balance
of his family. He recovered, and in time
married again, and moved to 50+ Lehigh
avenue. On the 9th of last January
little child living in the neighborhood of
Palmer's new home was attacked with
what appeared to be poisoning. The
child died, and between then and March
three more deaths followed in the same
family. An investigation was made as to
the sources of supply for the table. Pal
mers bakery was thoroughly searched,
and a pitcher of chrome yellow, or chro-
mate of lead, was found in the cellar.
The stuff was used to give yellow color
to pastry, and in some of the buns aualy
zed two grains of lead were found. 1t
now transpires that both families in
which the deaths occurred used the buns,
cakes. etc, in which the chrome yellow
was used, and were unconscious of the
source of their illness.